Author's Note:
I do not own any characters of locations. Characters and Karakira Town belong to Tite Kubo, and Osaka belongs to Japan. This is based on the nu-metal band, Distured,s studio album, also entitled Indestructible. Inspiration there?
Well... Enjoy this story. Review please. And as a shameless plug - check out my other stories if you haven't already! :)
Love ZeeZee the Dreamer xxx
Indestructible
Chapter One - Indestructible
Rukia Kuchiki was a strong young woman, who knew her own mind. A beauty with brains, if there ever was one. Top of her class at school, and many boys stared at her as she walked down the corridors – her sister was quite frustrated with the amount of calls that boys made to the house phone.
Therefore, when Rukia decided to work in the entertainment business in the big city, no-one could stop her. Not her step-brother, Byakuya, not her biological sister, Hisana, not her best friend in the entire world, Renji.
She was going to be a star. An actress or a singer – she hadn't chose a path yet. She would aim for either and she would achieve it. No matter what.
Rukia folded all her clothes (new and old) and packed up her belongings (like her best jewellery and a photo album). She promised to keep in touch with everyone on the brand new cell phone that Byakuya had given her as a going away present.
The day of her departure, she clipped her hair out of her face with a large red and white checked bow. She dressed in a plain black pleated skirt, a white fitted blouse and slip on white flat sneakers, with black bows on the front. She kissed her family and friends goodbye at the Karakura Station and turned away from her well cared for life.
She clutched her train ticket tightly, as she headed out of Karakura with a smile on her face and a proud, beating heart, knowing that someday she would be famous, as famous as the great Koizumi Kyoko. Her compartment was small and there was no one else in it.
As the conductor punched a hole through her ticket, she gave me a wide white toothed smile. He graciously smiled back.
"Going somewhere nice?" he asked.
"Osaka."
"Well, good luck to you ma'am. And goodbye."
Rukia watched him leave, her head on one side. It must be nice, Rukia thought, working on a train. Watching the world go by. Watching the people come and go. Watching life pass from one journey to the next.
The big city of Osaka was not what she expected. Ok, yes, there were directors and producers, but you couldn't throw a stone without hitting an aspiring artist or actor or singer or writer or model. They were easily recognizable by the weary expressions, sweaty patches on their clothes, and hopeful smiles whenever they met someone new.
Rukia stopped in the train station for an hour or so while she checked and double checked her living arrangements. She was renting a tiny flat from an agency just a short distance away from the theatre district. It would be the perfect place. She scanned each piece of paper in the manila envelope and finally, put it away in the front pocket of her wheeled suitcase.
She got herself a bottle of water out of a shiny new vending machine and took a refreshing gulp. She'd stop for lunch later when she had more time. Now, she had a flat to find. She smiled as she stepped out of the station.
Rukia walked and walked, until she reached the district where her apartment was situated. Her toes were stinging slightly by now and her hand was sore from pulling the suitcase – they were that sore that her fingertips were red. She was exhausted from walking. Her stomach rumbled and her throat was parched after she had finished the bottle and thrown it in a trash can.
"You look lost honey."
Rukia turned to the voice. Sat under a café awning was a busty ginger haired girl. Lounged in a metallic chair, the girl wore a pink blouse, with a white scarf. A pair of tight navy jeans clung to her legs. A silver necklace was around her neck and she tapped her feet in her leopard print heels. She was sipping from a large white cup and it made a strange sound as she rested it back on the table top.
Rukia studied her for a moment before she spoke.
"I'm looking for Dotonbori. Could you point me in the right direction, please?"
"You're looking for work, I'm guessin'? That's where a lot of people get housed 'round here," the ginger girl replied. "So what are ya? A singer or an actress?"
"Err-"
"Never mind. Now, Dotonbori is about five minutes from here. I'll take you if you want? I'm heading there myself." The girl drained what remained in her cup and moved it onto the saucer near the umbrella at the centre of the table.
"Oh that'd be-"
"1000 yen."
Rukia was stunned.
"You wanna get there in one piece, don't ya? There are some bad guys 'round here that'd love to get their hands on a girl like you."
Rukia grudgingly handed over a crisp note and was horrified to see the girl place the note in her brassiere.
"I gotta keep it somewhere," the girl replied in answer to Rukia's face.
The flat was awful. Just plain awful.
There was damp in the small living room. The sofa's stuffing was coming out and the floorboards creaked.
There were rat droppings in the kitchen, but at least they could be remedied by the mouse traps that the ginger haired girl (who finally introduced herself as Rangiku – Ran for short) had given her.
A small crack was in the bathroom window. It looked chilly and she knew she'd have to keep the window shut, even when she took a hot shower or a bath. Luckily those taps worked and so did the heating.
The bedroom was cold. She lay wrapped in a woollen blanket (another gift from Ran), in her warmest pyjama's, holding onto to her stuffed toy rabbit. Deep down, she was scared. Scared of the rejection, scared of losing what she had, just plain old shit scared.
Rukia Kuchiki knew that the days of being indestructible were coming to a close.
